We Can Move Worlds Again
by Lestats Cherie
Summary: A fairly well-to-do young lady named Piper ventures out into the desert, in the hope of discovering several weird and wonderful things for her current studies back home. Though very unsure of herself when faced with how cruel Egypt and its natives can be, she remains with her head held high and refuses to do as she is told; not willing to leave until she completes her task.
1. Arrival At Hamunaptra

As I stepped off the train with my rather dainty suitcase clattering somewhere behind, despite my firm grip on the handle, my eyes scanned the surrounding area for signs I was able to decipher. In all the years I had been travelling without difficulty, here and there by train, I had never felt so puzzled. My understanding was that I had been aboard that train for several hours and had finally arrived at Cairo; only problem was, I knew not how to branch away from the station in order to garner a lift of sorts toward my desired location. Of course, not a great many had been so willing to take a woman such as myself anywhere near so called _forbidden _destinations, so I insisted instead on having someone point me in the direction I wished to go. Even if I was made to walk it, I would much rather waste my time prancing through the desert than stuck like a lost pup in an overly heated, crowded and otherwise foul smelling cross rail. If not for the smell, I wished to be elsewhere in order to avoid the questioning glances.

"Excuse me, kind sir, might you be able to offer a young lady a bit of help? You see, I am quite lost and as I have never travelled to this location before.. have no idea where I'm to go next." I asked, approaching a nearby male, who seemed rather old given his worn complexion, though harmless.

The gentleman turned his head slowly until his eyes were fixated upon my own. My nerves shot right up through the glass roof above our heads as he continued to openly stare at me. I wondered why, but shook it off and marked it down as mere curiosity. Perhaps he was wondering why a lady such as myself, dressed as I was, had taken it upon herself to wander about Egypt for a good time. My attire had not shocked many back home, but given the obvious climate in this country, I realised how unfortunate my decision making skills were and this man, evidently, had similar doubts about my appearance.

"You are terribly mistaken, my dear. This is not somewhere.. someone like yourself.. should be exploring; do you understand?" he said, his accent thick, in turn giving me a bit of trouble comprehending, but the look on his face said it all. All I found myself able to do in return was offer a small nod. But before he could turn away from me and continue on his way, I blurted out something else.

"Please.. uh, _la afham_" I pressed, hoping my pronunciation was a lot more demanding than my confidence as he stopped walking, turned and closed the space between us.

"I think you do understand, _bourgeois_" he hissed, his lips pressed tightly together as he regarded me in silence for a moment or two. Why, I did not know. Nor did I understand why he was being so rude. "Why do you not return to your home, where you belong? Can you not see this is no place for the likes of you, to be flailing around showing off your wealth and class, before those of us who have very little in life?" he continued his little rant, but left no room for me to budge into the debate as he turned swiftly once more and took off at a brisk pace in the opposite direction, leaving me standing there very confused.

"Child, pay no mind to him. His bitterness stems from an awful tragedy and though it has long since passed, the memory lingers fresh in his mind." A woman's voice disrupted my train of thought, startling me momentarily.

My eyes drifted from staring at absolutely nothing, toward a woman not much older than myself. Ebony locks and piercing green eyes smiled into mine and I felt my lips curling upward at either corner. At least someone knew how to treat a foreigner, with extreme politeness and remarkable manners. The woman now smiled fully at me as she took a hold of my arm, guiding me away from the billowing crowd and off to a nearby antique store. If only I had my purse in hand; though in all fairness, I couldn't very well pay for anything in Egypt with British coins.

"You are in need of an exchange," she began, noticing my wandering eyes scanning the exterior of the store and the obvious pout on my lips, making her chuckle. "We will get that sorted before you leave here, do not worry. Now, where is it you wish to go on this venture of yours?" she asked, still smiling.

"Oh.. well, thank you very much for being so helpful. If not for you, I believe I would have been on the next train home." I laughed a little, somewhat uncomfortable with the situation but thankful to have someone to talk to and perhaps offer a bit of help. "I wish to visit Hamunaptra..." I added, both our eyes darting every which way around us as a group of people passing by stopped, frozen on the spot. Their faces, from what I could read, suggested that location was not _ideal_, but I was not going to let anything else stand in my way now. I wanted to collect several artefacts, of at least reference for future studies.

"What is your name, miss?" she asked, her head slightly tilted to one side as she too regarded me in silence, awaiting my response.

"Piper.." I answered, not willing to offer up my entire name, should it somehow prove problematic in the upcoming future. I wondered why my name was of any importance, then came to the conclusion that maybe she just wanted to know the name of who she had spoken with and was going out of her way to help me in the best way she could.

"And you are.. British. Have you travelled all this way, alone?" she asked.

"Indeed, I have. This is not my first time, however. I have been abroad many times without anyone by my side. It is a much more relaxing journey, don't you think?" I joked, hoping to make light of the situation but that same curiosity lingered in this woman's eyes and I knew not how to get myself out of pickles. "And you..?"

"Kalila; it is wonderful to meet someone like yourself, Piper, but where you wish to go is forbidden territory. You could be in grave danger, or put others at risk, do you understand?" she said, her voice both high and low as she spoke of possible fatalities I might face should I cross the borders into Hamunaptra. The more information I was able to take in from everything she told me, the more I feared what I knew I had to do. There would be no stopping me or holding me back. When I set my mind on something, I would stop at nothing until I had achieved that particular goal, or several.

"I understand your concerns and will pay particular attention to detail, but I must go. There are a number of things I have to do and all involve me venturing onto that land. Would you guide me there, Kalila?" I asked, my eyes filled with hope as my hands came up in prayer, waiting for her to make a decision.

It took her several minutes to decide, but when her lips parted and the first word passed through them without any hint of uncertainty, I beamed and very nearly wrapped the poor woman in an embrace had I not known better. Being so forward and open around strangers was not often my thing, but knowing I now had the help I had been searching for made me feel like a completely new person.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. I have been studying for many years, all about Ancient Egypt and it's many hidden wonders and yet, have never stumbled upon any information about this city. Most find it a gloomy subject, whilst others refuse entirely to discuss it." I said, rambling a fair amount as Kalila guided me toward a group of horses.

"Oh I.. don't know how to ride" I panicked, turning sharply toward Kalila as she offered the man minding the horses a red velvet pouch; what was inside it, I did not know, but assumed it was coins.

"There's nothing to it," she smiled in understanding before continuing, her attitude a little more vibrant now she had the opportunity to show someone the sights, regardless of whether or not it was ideal. "Just hop up on him over there and do what I do. If you earn your horses trust, he'll do most of the work for you – just direct him to follow mine."

Hopping up onto the beautiful, friesian horse, I found myself comfortable almost immediately and navigated the reins in no time at all. Gripping them firmly in the palms of my hands, I lightly tapped the horses side with my heel and marvelled at how well he was behaving. Following suit with Kalila and her own horse, we headed off over the dunes to start our journey across the vast desert. Rather than ask how long it would take before we arrived, I chose to be as patient as possible. Though, the increasing heat all around us made that task all the more difficult. The lack of trees was one of the things I disliked most about these areas and the fact that I was unable to see anything in my line of vision but sand and higher dunes further ahead, made me a little dizzy. My eyes threatened to close on me many times as we rode for a couple of hours, not once slowing or coming to a halt. I wondered if our horses were still alright to continue still; or if they perhaps needed a little break, maybe some food or water.

As with ourselves, it seemed the horses would have to be just as patient. There were no mirages in sight, nor any sign of life, save for the many scorpions crawling through tiny sand hills here and there. Thankful for my head wear, I gently patted my horses neck and he offered a short neigh in response to the reassuring gesture he had received. I wondered then, what his name might be, or if he had a name at all. I was under the impression that not many Egyptian folk gave their animals names.

"Kalila, does this horse have a name, or am I free to choose one for him?" I asked.

"The man who sold him to us had not given him a name; feel free to choose. I have named mine Eclipse.. and how about you, what shall your horses name be?" she asked, turning to throw a smile my way.

"Liquorice; I think that suits him rather well" I boasted, already very fond of the name and apparently, my horse felt no different as he craned his neck back a bit to receive a ruffled mane.

Onward and upward, we rode over what appeared to be the highest of all the dunes our horses had climbed since starting our journey all those hours ago and to say I was tired was an understatement. I could only imagine how Liquorice must be feeling, if I felt so worn out from merely riding on his back. But just as I was about to question our whereabouts and how long it would be before we arrived, the sights the dune overlooked took my breath away. Not far from where we stilled, resting on the edge of the dune and looking down at the land before us, there sat a couple of structures. They appeared to be crumbling with age, but were still standing nonetheless. I smiled at the sight and though I longed to rush ahead and let my work begin, I held back long enough for Kalila to lead the way.

"Now, Piper.. you have only a limited time here, I hope you understand. Before the sun sets, we must return to a nearby city for shelter. I cannot linger, for many reasons" she spoke, her tone light, yet authoritative as she told me of their _guidelines_. "Will you return to my village with me this evening?"

I picked my head up from its low gaze, having been staring blankly at my horses back and feeling as small as a child. Looking over at her, I noticed she held her head high and was watching absolutely everything that moved around us. We were riding through the gate now; the smell of damp sand surrounding us. My horse, with a mind of his own and little to no concern for remaining discreet, made a beeline for a tiny pool of water just a few trots from where we had been. My reprimanding skills were, obviously, not all that wonderful as he chose not to listen and continued on until the droplets rested on his tongue. I smiled, despite how unprepared I had been for his departing of our mini caravan.

"I will do so, Kalila. I've a lot to thank you for; how could I ever repay you for allowing me to come here? And guiding me here yourself, no less?" I asked, a glorious smile adorning my lips as I hopped down off of Liquorice, patting his neck once more before wandering around the small space around him.

Hamunaptra was nothing like I had imagined it to be. There was not a great deal here for me to do an awful lot of studying on, but I hoped we would find something before sunset. My thoughts derailed and I found myself in a state of panic as I realised my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Slapping the palm of my hand clumsily against my forehead, I turned to Kalila with an apologetic look and she too seemed to understand the predicament.

"Do not worry. I will have one of our people return to Cairo tomorrow, to collect your things. I am sure someone sensible picked up your belongings and put them in a safe place" she smiled, tying Liquorice and Eclipse together beside the water pool and ushering me further into what remained of the city.

"Is there much to see here, anywhere, at all?" I asked, my head turning at odd angles to try and catch a glimpse of something; anything at all that I might be able to use for my studies. It seemed void of both life and ancient artefacts, but I was hoping Kalila could at least offer an explanation.

"This city is guarded by powerful, unstoppable and courageous warriors. They are called Medjai – they protect the world and keep it from harms way – by allowing no one to disrupt the peace. None have entered these parts in thousands of years. You must understand, this is not a safe place to be. Should we stumble into Medjai territory, we are liable to be either banished, or killed" she said, her voice low.

Gulping back a hint of fear, that was now pooling in the pit of my stomach, I picked up my pace and walked alongside Kalila. I feared for my life, hers and our horses, should we be captured by these seemingly dark and dangerous people. No matter the direction I looked, I could not see anything threatening lingering in the shadows, or at a fair distance over the dunes surrounding the hollow. Perhaps it was merely an Egyptian myth, passed down through the ages to frighten off unwelcome foreigners or those who sought to steal treasure from Ancient burial grounds, or such like.

"So, these.. Medjai, they spend their lives protecting mankind, by murdering those who dare set foot into what most believe to be a cursed city?" I asked, careful in choosing my words.

Kalila halted her steps. We had been circling the grounds and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious; and she turned to me, her eyes brimming with silent rage. "Medjai are _not _cruel men. They do what they must, what they had sworn to do since manhood. They protect life; if by taking life away will achieve this, yes, I suppose it is murder. But know this – if they allowed tourists, like yourself, to venture in and out of this city, some to steal gold or buried treasures, anything could happen."

Again, I gulped out of fear. I was not afraid of the woman who stood before me, but I was now fearful of what I chose to say in front of her. Yes, she was wonderful and kind in every way. Though, perhaps I had struck a nerve with my remark; yet I wondered why she had reacted so harshly.

"Do you.. know any of these.. Medjai?" I asked, my voice quiet, protecting me from further scolding.

As she looked back at me, we continued to stroll. A hint of a grin appeared on her lips and I, unknowingly, released a breath of relief. For a few moments, she said nothing and within those few moments, the sound of galloping hooves filled our ears and startled our horses as their heads shot upright out of the pool.

"Yes -" she began, her eyes trailing toward a nearby dune as mine followed. "One of them is my brother," she added, her expression one of worry and concern, though laced with excitement as she struggled to hide me to the best of her ability.


	2. Prisoner Of Medjai

A tight knit group of riders approached, passing through the gates with ease and in no time at all, they had us surrounded. My panic would have had me fainting on the spot, had Kalila not mentioned one of these fearless Medjai warriors was of blood relation. Though, my throat was dry and any hope for formal conversation was now null and void. The rider situated just a little ahead of the others swung his leg over his horse, jumped down with a loud thud and stepped a little closer. I cowered like the immature little girl I so often was, hiding behind Kalila's mane of ebony hair in an attempt to go unnoticed by the man.

"Laa.." he sneered, staring intently at the gentle woman standing before me, as to appear a threat, but Kalila made no move to turn her head or walk away from him. Instead, she stood her ground and the man continued, now folding his arms across his chest. "What is _she _doing here, okhti?"

My brows furrowed and I tried to translate the last word that had passed through his full lips, but I was unable to place it straight away. With a slight turn of her head, my new friend glanced at me through the corner of her eye, where I then noticed a little twinkle.

"_She _is my new friend and I would like to have her stay with us for a while, if you and your men don't mind. I don't suppose it would be of too much trouble to welcome a newcomer into our village; we have more than enough room, don't you think?" she taunted, her lips pressed together as she tipped her chin upward a little, trying to get that bit taller next to him.

The man growled, removing the veil that had been shielding half his face since he had arrived and my breath caught in my throat at the sight. In all my twenty four years, I had _never _seen such a wonderful treasure before. My cheeks grew hot at the thoughts rushing about inside my head and I fought to shun them as Kalila stepped aside and he moved forward. The closer he got – the louder my heart thumped against my aching chest. If I could not calm and steady my emotions, I would surely pay for it with my life. Of course, I had never been one to act on impulse when it came to attraction, so I saw no reason why I might stoop so low this time. Yes, he was a beautiful man, but not beautiful enough for me to risk my life; a life I very much enjoyed and intended to keep until I was at least old enough to be a grandmother. Even thoughts of possible children we might have flooded the forefront of my mind and I cursed aloud. This, as I looked up to greet the _good looking _male before me, did not go amiss. A grin curled on his lips but he discarded it as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me no choice but to banish my own amusement.

As any possible humour scattered to the light bustle of wind around us, I struggled to keep my gaze fixed on his, waiting patiently for him to speak. When he finally broke that barrier and offered up a few words, I was surprised by how well he could speak English; though Kalila had equal talent in that department and I wondered then if they were perhaps of relation. I wondered if.. this was her brother.

"What is it you wish to find here, outlander?" he questioned, now moving to circle me as he waited for an answer I hoped would be good enough for him.

"I am simply looking to study the site.. it's history, possible changes in conditions and perhaps even a little exploring beneath the sands" I replied, trying to keep my focus on something still in front of me.

With this, however, he looked displeased as he had completed his full circle and stood directly before me once more. He was frowning, but also deep in thought. Calling one of the many other riders over, they spoke in hushed tones for a couple of minutes and I stood there, feeling very awkward and wondering why Kalila was no longer backing me up. Instead, she had located and climbed back onto her horse and was already heading toward the gates to leave the city.

"Please, do not send me back to Cairo to catch the train home. I've come all this way; I would hate to leave not having found _anything _at all for my studies" I understood that I no doubt sounded foolish in begging for him to let me linger, but it meant an awful lot to me.

"Yalla.. come with me" he said, leading me away from his men and shouting something in words I could not fully understand, but it seemed to do the trick as they all dispersed and tended to their horses. "What is your name, girl?"

"Piper" I replied, forcing a small smile at the minor chitchat he was trying to get going. "And.. yours?"

The man, now leaning idly against a crumbling stone monument, looked my way briefly before turning once again to watch the open desert as the sun fell slowly beneath the horizon. "Ardeth, but my name is not of importance. You should not be here; my sister should have known better" he sighed, rubbing his temples as he thought over the situation. "I _should _take you back to Cairo – but I am not such a horrible brother – nor do I enjoy taking things away from my little sister."

My only response was to stand there, rocking back and forth slightly as I fidgeted with my hands, twiddling my thumbs in a childlike appreciation of what he had decided to do. Though I opened my mouth to speak, to say thank you when he looked my way, I found myself unable to do so. My words lodged in my throat; they were ready to come out, but with those chocolate brown eyes boring into mine, they had forgotten their escape route. And I had done the same, as he continued to stare.

"I.. uh, thank you so much" I stuttered, my cheeks flushing once again when I noticed his amusement dancing over his features as it had done earlier. Only this time, he allowed it and released a heartfelt chuckle at my reaction to his intense stare. "You have no idea what this means to me. I've been waiting all my life for this day-" I added, my thoughts drifting off elsewhere as I turned, facing the darkening horizon just over the dunes, in the direction Kalila and I had travelled from.

"You are.. welcome, habibti" he smiled, offering his hand and pointing back toward his men and their horses and it was then I realised _he _was their leader; a chief of sorts.

"Habibti?" I questioned, tilting my head as I pondered on that word, having heard it somewhere before, but my whispered word had not reached his ears and before I knew what was going on, I was being hoisted up onto the back of a beautiful horse.

In realising this, I snapped my head toward the man, looking puzzled. "My.. horse?" I asked, wondering where Liquorice had trotted off to whilst I had been so preoccupied. "Where is my horse?"

"Do not worry, one of my men will ride alongside him on our return to the village" he answered, then hopping up onto the back of the same horse and in no time at all, my cheeks were burning.

As we rode, I allowed him to take full control of his horse and all the while, I sat there and admired our surroundings. The other warriors were so focused on everything, it was almost frightening. But, I figured that was what made them so good at what they did and I decided in that moment I would not go against any of them, even with words. I was renowned for getting myself into impossible debates with others, yet these men looked as though they would rather fight it out and I didn't much want to involve myself in that kind of madness, no matter the outcome it may have. All around us, there were small patches of greenery with the odd pond in every other oasis. My stories wound themselves together in my head with every ounce of detail that I saw and before I knew it, we had arrived at our destination. It had been a fairly short journey, compared to the almost seven hour trip I had taken with Kalila this morning.

"Oh.." I breathed, not knowing quite where to look as their village held so many wondrous things, all happening at the same time. "You live here.." I smiled, not waiting for any kind of reply as I struggled to get down from the ridiculously large horse.

Looking at the ground from over the side of the horses back, I scoffed. It was a good few feet. I hadn't realised prior to being lifted and put into place before, just how high it was and though I was by no means afraid of heights, I didn't wish to make a fool of myself in front of so many curious people. Those who lived within the village; many of whom were women and dressed in brightly coloured clothing or next to nothing at all, had all crowded around where we had entered, to catch a glimpse of _me_ – the outlander.

An _outlander _is what he had called me not so long ago and only now did I fully understand its meaning; which I deduced was not all that friendly as far as appropriate terms went. Now in a bit of a huff, I shimmied down off the side of the horse and landed with quite a commotion after the horse decided to buck and knocked me off balance. Landing painfully on my behind, I tossed all kinds of unpretty words at the careless animal and was about to swat its rear when a large hand wrapped itself around mine. My eyes widened as I thought of all the possibilities; who could it be? Perhaps it was the leader of these people, the man who was in charge of the village, the decision maker. With my eyes glued tightly shut, I managed to pry them open as I turned, only to come face to face – or rather – face to chest – with Ardeth.

"Never lay your hand on my horse, or any other horse, for that matter" he reprimanded, shoving my hand away and returning to his duties. As he disappeared into the crowd, I pouted visibly and wondered where on earth my friend Kalila had gotten to.

"Uh.. does anyone know where Kalila might be?" I asked, praying that at least one of the lovely ladies could understand English and tell me where I could find her. "It's quite important, please."

"Kalila.. she has gone riding. She will not return until dusk, miss" one of the women answered.

"Oh I see.. well, thank you for your help," I smiled, gave a small bow and felt utterly stupid afterwards for having done so, not knowing their customs. "I shall see you all around, I presume."

And with that, I managed to blend with the crowd as I strolled through them to find somewhere to take shelter and perhaps try on more appropriate clothing for a holiday in Egypt. I should have known better prior to leaving home that this outfit would not sit well with such warm climates. No doubt, I looked like a clown to half the people who occupied this village and it now made sense why those women had flocked around us to get a good look at the dopey British woman who didn't have a clue about anything.

As I strolled, I walked by several tents, brown or red in colour and wondered whether or not I would be staying in one of these whilst I was here. It did not look too comfortable from the outside, though they were insanely large and appeared almost like a house in themselves. I wanted terribly to step inside one and take a look, but knew it would be rude to do so, particularly if there was already someone in there. My eyes scanned the village and I tried to locate the man who had brought me here, but here was nowhere in sight and so, I continued to search the place. A small group of women followed not too far behind, like a gaggle of geese who wandered behind the _new kid _at school. Whilst it was not a bother, I was not too fond of my every move being watched and so, I spun on my heel to confront them. In doing so, a small child pushed through them and approached me, holding something fragile in the palm of her hand.

Stretching that hand out toward me, she smiled and I returned it, adoring the few teeth she had. As she held her palm up a little closer to my face, I was able to see a tiny little pearl resting there, white as snow and glowing under the light of the moon directly above our heads. The girl giggled and grasped my hand as I held it out, palm up. Carefully, she tipped hers and the pearl fell into mine, surprising me with its weight. I gasped, thanking her for the lovely gift and brushing her loose locks behind one ear.

As soon as the child scurried off elsewhere, the group of women who had been following me all around the small village separated and did the same, at which I sighed. My nerves calmed to a manageable level and I continued on my way. A few stars came into view as I looked up into the night sky, admiring the beauty that met my eyes. But as I dropped my gaze back down, _he _was standing right in front of me.

"You.." I started, trying to catch my breath from the sudden jolt and quickly apologising for my rudeness, "I mean.. sorry, I've been searching everywhere for you. Where.. uh.. will I be spending my time?" I asked, removing my hand from over my heart and trying to ignore his need to laugh.

"You have two choices, whilst you are here, habibti. But you must obey our rules and live how we live, or you will be sent home with the next caravan that moves into Cairo two days from now. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Of course – what are these _rules _you speak of, oh marvellous Medjai warrior" I teased, a sparkle in my eyes so he knew, hopefully, I was simply playing and would under no circumstances disrespect him or his people during my little holiday here.

With one easy stride, he was standing even closer. So close, that our chests were pressed right up against one another and the steady rhythm of his heart clashed with mine, as it beat rapidly and threatened to break through. The thumping was so strong, I could hear it in my ears and only hoped he could not feel it, as he remained so close. In my unfortunate disposition, I failed to notice him unsheathe his blade and press the tip against my spine.

"As long as you are here with me and my people, you will follow orders – you will do as you are told and always what is expected of you. Whilst you are here, you are my prisoner," he stated; though his tone was of little help in allowing me to understand the severity, or lack of severity, in his words.

"Prisoner..?!" I half yelled, trying to jump back away from him and forgetting for a split second that he had a blade pressed against my flesh that could easily, no doubt, pierce and break my spinal cord if I dared move any further. "Why.. you can't do that. Do you have any idea who I am?" I retorted, fuming.

"Yes, _my lady_ – you are a foreigner in a country you know nothing about – and while you are here, under my watch, you are mine" he grinned; something wicked buried beneath those dark eyes lingered until he broke away from me, leaving me frozen and frightened.


End file.
